can anyone help my chinchilla??

[theCoolAimee]

I bought her as a baby, she's only a few months old now. I clean her cage often and change her water every 3 days. She gets a dust bath 3 times a week. She seems healthy - climbing, curious, active - but she's missing fur around her cute little nose

at first it was just a little, but now It's got some bumps. What could this be? Have I done something wrong? I really love her, she is comfortable with me and loves to ride around on my shoulder. I've put a lot of time into her.

 

[spiritdance]

Could she be rubbing her nose on the cage bars? My chinchi was the nosiest thing in the world, and any time something went on in the room where her cage was she would squeeze her nose out as far as she could to check it out.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

My understanding is, that if the bare patches grow and are found elsewhere, and if the skin is scaly, you probably have ringworm going on. It is a fungus, and is very easily spread, so you would want to deal with that right away if it is suspected. Another cause may be if she chews at her cage bars often. Many animals will rub a bare spot over their nose from constantly poking out their noses to chew.

 

[theCoolAimee]

She does do that! I never thought of that as a possibility. I will bring her to a vet tho, just to be sure. Thanks all!

 

[jason_mazzy]

If it were me I'd save the vet money. A vet will cost a decent amount of money for a very simple problem. If it gets worse or red and infected looking then I would go. But going so early seems like a way to rack ip a bill u don't need.

 

[theCoolAimee]

So what should I do until then? Is there something I can put on her nose? Or what?

 

[theCoolAimee]

?

 

[ChickGirl6]

Can you post a pic of her, if it's ringworm you can get a Antifungal cream from a drug store or walmart (it will say right on the box that it treats ringworm) and rub it on her nose at lest twice a day.

 

[theCoolAimee]

I'm using my cell phone, so I can't post pics. Her bald spot is getting bigger and I'm noticing scabs around her nose.

 

[Attack Chicken]

She sounds cute! Do you allow her to dust?